Prior known devices for the rehabilitation and development of manipulative skills have only partially addressed such needs. Prior art devices known to me provide only a limited range of the fasteners and closures normally associated with apparel. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,997,982, issued to Holland on Dec. 21, 1976 and entitled Training Vest Or The Like discloses a vest having a series of replaceable or interchangeable practice panels, each having different types of fasteners, including various clothing fasteners such as buttons, snaps, zippers, hooks, laces and buckles. However, the replaceable or interchangeable panels are inherently unavailable, except through the process of physically replacing the panels actually being used.
In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,972,820 issued to Cano on Feb. 28, 1961, and entitled Educational Training Device, discloses a number of fasteners separately arrayed on a rigid plane. Both the arrangement of the fasteners and the rigid back plane upon which the fasteners are mounted for manipulation (while the device is mounted an a table or the user's lap), fail to provide the manipulative challenge which would be presented by fasteners situated on the user's person. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,323, issued to Wright, Jr. on Feb. 9, 1988, entitled Child's Activity Bib, similarly discloses a number of separately arrayed manipulative devices. Wright, Jr. discloses various infant activities presented on a fabric bib worn by a child's mother or other caretaker. Although available to the grasp of held child, the arrangement also fails to provide the manipulative challenge which would be presented by fasteners situated on the user's person.
In yet another example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,638,334 issued to Malikowski on Feb. 1, 1972, for a Training Garment, discloses several separate vests mounted on the user's person by shoulder straps and a back belt. Each vest presents a different fastening challenge, one of either buttoning or zippering. Thus, the user must remove one training garment and don another separate training garment to practice alternative fastening skills.
In still another example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,072, titled Child's Protective, Entertainment Or Educational Device, issued to White on Apr. 28, 1987, discloses a vest for the amusement and education of small children, including ribbons for tying a bow; shoestrings laced through relatively large plastic rings; a pocket with a secure flap; layered panels secured by a zip fastener over panels secured by buttons and button holes; a tether for securing a baby toy; and a second tether suspending a small multi-layer wax tablet, the wax tablet being of the type sold under the trade name MAGIC SLATE that is written by rubbing using any relatively dull implement to avoid tearing the writing layer and is erased by separating the writing layer from the wax board layer. Although the wax tablet provides a rudimentary drawing/writing implement, the tethered nature of the suspension limits the tablet's use in the development of the muscles and motor skills necessary for withdrawing and returning the tablet to a secure location, such as a pocket.
Thus, prior known devices for the development of manipulative skills fail to provide the constant availability of the full range of fasteners and closures normally associated with apparel while having those fasteners and closures situated as normally experienced by the person donning the apparel by integration of such devices into a single apparatus adapted for mounting on the user's person, such that the fasteners and closures are positioned and oriented in a normal operating relationship to the user's person.
Furthermore, prior known devices have not generally addressed the need for development of muscle tone in the rehabilitation of physical handicaps by providing means for muscular development beyond that required for manipulation of apparel fasteners and closures. Thus, it would be advantageous to provide a rehabilitation device that provides, in combination with fasteners and closures, additional manipulative and training implements which, at least to some degree, provide for increased muscle tone development, particularly in the hands.